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services, but some were larger or more numerous. superb edifice constructed by Solomon, consisted of the Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies, as in the tabernacle; the main building being about 110 feet long, 36 wide, and 54 high. This pile was surrounded on each side, except the entrance, by three stories of small rooms, about eight feet square, which reached to about half the height of the body of the temple. The east end, or front, was a magnificent portico, which rose to the height of 220 feet. Thus the form of the whole pile would not be unlike that of some ancient churches, which have a lofty tower in front, and a low aisle extending along each side of the main building. The principal structure was surrounded by several courts, and a variety of other buildings, some of which are mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles.

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The daily services in Solomon's temple are briefly stated by Abijah, in his remonstrance to Jeroboam and the Israelites, 2 Chron. xiii. 10, 11: "The priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense the shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening." Thus the daily services of Solomon's temple were the same as those of the tabernacle; and the Jewish writers show that the same services were continued after the captivity.

This beautiful temple, the richest and most highlyfinished edifice the world ever saw, continued in its original splendour only about thirty years. Shishak, king of Egypt, then took Jerusalem, and plundered the temple. Many other circumstances connected with its history are recorded in the books of Kings and Chronicles, and it was burned by the Chaldeans, when it had stood about 430 years. See 2 Kings xxv. 13-15; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 17-20.

After the captivity, one of the first cares of the Jews who returned to their beloved country, was to rebuild the temple. Various hindrances and delays retarded the progress. It was begun by Zerubbabel, but their means were so scanty, that the aged men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the new foundations laid, Ezra, iii. 12. Yet the people in general praised the Lord with shouts of joy. To those who had not enjoyed the Divine ordinances in their greater glory, the renewal of these

services was felt as an especial blessing. Let us learn hence, that the day of small things is not to be despised, and let us especially be thankful for the great mercies we now enjoy as to the worship of God.

This second temple stood for about five hundred years, when, being much decayed, Herod the Great undertook to rebuild it. He employed 18,000 workmen, for more than nine years, in the work. But, although in that time the main building was completed, other works were undertaken. The courts were further enlarged, and additional buildings erected, so that in our Saviour's time, the Jews could say, that forty-six years had passed during its construction, John, ii. 20. It is calculated that the courts were sufficiently spacious to contain more than half a million of persons at the same time. No expense was spared to render this temple equal, if not superior, in size, as well as in beauty and splendour, to anything ever seen among mankind. Of this pile, including several courts and many hundred additional apartments, there is no particular account in Scripture; but it has been described by Josephus and other Jewish writers. A map, or ground plan, is given, which will enable the reader to form a general idea of the temple; but it would have been useless to attempt to insert the smaller apartments which surrounded the structure.

The principal entrance to the court of the Gentiles, the extent and situation of which will be seen on reference to a plan of Jerusalem, was by the east gate, called the gate Shushan, and the king's gate. The first name is said to have been derived from a representation of the city of Shushan, in Persia, pourtrayed upon it, to remind the Jews of their captivity, that they might beware of again falling into idolatry and also to remind them of the feast of Purim, established in that city, to commemorate their deliverance from the plot of Haman. The name of the king's gate was to remind them of Solomon, who raised the foundation from the valley beneath; the piazza on that side of the court was wider than on the others, and was called Solomon's porch. There our Lord walked at the feast of dedication, John x. 23, when the Jews were about to cast stones at him; and there Peter addressed the people after the miraculous healing of the lame man, Acts iii. 11. Josephus says, that no one could look down from the flat roof of this cloister without being dizzy, on account of the vast depth of the valley beneath. At the south-east corner is supposed to

have been the pinnacle from whence Satan tempted our Saviour to cast himself down, Matt. iv. 6.

After passing the buildings immediately about the entrance gate, pens or folds would be seen, containing cattle, sheep, and lambs. At this gate the half shekel, as directed Exod. xxx. 13, was collected during three weeks before the passover, and there sat the money changers, ready to supply Jewish coins for the temple dues, and the purchase of sacrifices, to persons who came from a distance, in exchange for foreign money: thus not only levying a tax on the necessities of the devout visitor of the temple, but making God's house a place of merchandise. It is probable that the officers of the temple let these standings for considerable sums, to compensate for which the sellers made an unjust and fraudulent gain, therefore our Lord called the place a "den of thieves." There were also small shops or apartments for the regular sale of wine, oil, meal, and other things, which were used with the sacrifices. Our Lord's solemn rebuke of this conduct is well known. It was so manifestly evil, that the guilty crowds fled before a single despised individual of humble parentage.

In this court, often called by the Jews "the mountain of the house," persons from all nations were seen. Many devout Gentiles no doubt entered this space, desiring there to offer supplications to the God of Israel, as none but a Jew might approach nearer to the inner courts and the holy places. But how must the feelings of the pious strangers have been outraged, on finding the inclosure intended expressly for their use, turned into a cattle-market and an exchange! Singular to relate, there was a long time when the interior of St. Paul's, the largest place for worship in London, presented much such a scene. During part of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the main building was crowded by persons who resorted to it for buying, and selling, and hiring, and for making known their wants, and even for disgraceful and wicked purposes. It is true, that God dwells not within stone walls, and that there can be no holiness in bricks and mortar; but if the world and its devices are allowed to gain a settlement within the house dedicated to Divine worship, it will be even more difficult than it is at present, to prevent the intrusion of worldly thoughts during the hours set apart for sacred services.

The piazza or covered walk which surrounded the court, had a roof supported by large pillars of beautiful white

marble. The whole is computed to have included a large level space, equal to four acres and a half, paved with variegated marble. In the north-west corner of this court was an ascent to the tower of Antonia, by the stairs into that castle, from whence St. Paul addressed the people, Acts xxi. 40.

From the court of the Gentiles the Jews entered by several openings, each with twelve steps, into the Hil, or sacred fence. This was a space eighteen feet wide, and nine feet above the court which surrounded it. A wall of lattice work, five feet high, formed the outward boundary; and at each entrance were posts with inscriptions in different languages, forbidding strangers to enter. The outcry against Paul was first excited by a false accusation, that he had taken a Greek beyond this boundary, Acts xxi. 27-29. This fence is evidently alluded to by the same apostle, Eph. ii. 13, 14, when he speaks of Christ as our peace," who united both Jews and Gentiles into one church, having broken down "the middle wall of partition" between them.

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From the Hil, the Jew passed by an ascent of five steps, into the court of the women : so called because this was their appointed place of worship, beyond which they might not pass, unless they had burnt-offerings or trespass-offerings to present. It is mentioned by different names in Scripture, as the new court, 2 Chron. xx. 5; the outer court, Ezek. xlvi. 21; the treasury, John viii. 20. The eastern gate to this court was the beautiful gate mentioned, Acts iii. 2. It was so named from being overlaid with plates of Corinthian brass, a valuable mixture of gold, silver, and copper. This court contained a space of about

an acre and a half; it was wholly surrounded by buildings and a piazza with ranges of galleries. It was paved with marble, and had three gates beside that already described. In each corner was a smaller court, where the priests boiled the sacrifices, with buildings for different purposes. In one corner the Nazarites cut off their hair. In another, the wood intended for the altar was carefully examined, to separate any pieces that had worms: these were deemed unfit for the altar, and used for inferior purposes. Another was for the reception of cleansed lepers: and in the fourth were stores of wine and oil. These piles of buildings, and the galleries between them, were forty-five feet in height. In this court also were the chests for receiving the offerings, into one of which our blessed Lord saw the poor widow cast her two mites. These chests were thirteen in number, each for a different purpose. Into this court the lame man, when healed, followed Peter and John; and here stood the proud Pharisee, near the gate leading to the inner court, when he thanked God that he was not as other men; while the poor publican stood in a remote part, offering a petition which every true believer feels should be his daily prayer. This court was the usual place of worship for those who did not bring sacrifices to offer on the altar. It is probable that many offerings, and also the spoils taken by Herod from the nations he conquered, were suspended on the walls; and here Agrippa hung up the golden chain given him by the Roman emperor Caligula, as a memorial of the iron chain with which he had been bound by Tiberius. The offerings were visible from a distance, and appear to have been "the gifts" pointed out to our Lord, as he sat with his disciples on the Mount of Olives, Luke xxi. 5.

The court of Israel was next. The ascent to this was by fifteen steps, the pavement being about thirteen feet higher than the court of the women. The gate tower was ninety feet high, and richly adorned. Here lepers stood while the atonement for them was offered, and their purification completed. Here the trial of bitter waters was made. And this was the gate described by Josephus, so heavy that it could hardly be shut by twenty men, yet opening of its own accord one night, some years before the destruction of Jerusalem, though barred and bolted: an omen regarded as importing the approaching ruin of the state.

On reference to the plan, it will be seen that the court of